Harry Potter and Phoenix 's Song
by starfeatherhp
Summary: This story begins after Harry finished Voldemort. I'll try writing 'Dance of Wands' story.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 The Phoenix's Song**

Harry placed the broken holly wand on the Headmaster's desk. The two halves were just connected by the very thin thread of phoenix feather. All he wanted was to fix the wand he had cherished for so long since he first began learning magic. When the tip of the Elder Wand touched the fine thread, he said, 'Reparo.' Red and gold sparks flew about, and his wand was successfully repaired. He picked it up and rubbed the surface of it. He felt the familiar warmth in his fingers. He felt like he could listen to a phoenix song from it. Grinning wide, he spoke.

"I'm putting it back with you, Professor." He looked up to the portrait of Dumbledore, who had been watching him with huge affection. "If I die naturally like Ignotus, its power will be broken, right?" Dumbledore smiled and seemed to nod in the portrait.

Ron said, " Are you sure?" His voice held a slight expectation that Harry would change his mind.

Before he answered, Hermione added, "Harry is right. The previous master won't have been defeated. There will be no evil wizard who could use it."

When the trio came out of the room, McGonagall was climbing up the spiral staircase. She looked extremely fatigued as she told them she spared the rooms for them to rest. "Only the Slytherin common room and the dorms were left unharmed. You might dislike it, but the Great Hall and the other dorms are occupied with the wounded and … the dead people. Have a shower and get some rest." She held up her hands as the trio began to interrupt, and continued, "Don't worry yourselves with helping us. You must be tired after the task, Potter. Granger and Weasley, watch him to make sure he doesn't delve into any more heroic things tonight. You all need rest. No, Potter. You must be tired," she insisted when she saw Harry try to say something.

But Harry interjected. "Professor, I have the last task. I have to …" His words were cut off when Ron kicked him in the shin. While Harry was staring at his best mate, Ron took over,

"I'll watch him, Professor. We are going to help you tomorrow. Hermione, Harry, let's go." He urged Harry to descend the stairs.

"Good," McGonagall said shortly and entered the room.

"Why did you kick me?" Harry suspected that Ron was reluctant to put the Elder Wand back into Dumbledore's tomb.

"Use your father's cloak." Ron whispered back.

"Oh, yeah, right." He was ashamed of himself for having doubted his best mate.

When they reached the Great Hall, Hermione stopped them. "Wait! You'd better go with Bill to Dumbledore's." She found him among the Weasleys, who were surrounding Fred's body in mourning.

Not having slept, the exhaustion came back with heavy feeling that he had lost so many people he loved. He felt Ron pull the Cloak from the pocket of his jeans. Harry took it from him and slid it over himself. He went with Ron and Hermione to the spot where the Weasleys had been grieving over Fred. Hermione got closer to Bill and whispered something. Bill glanced back and stared at the space near invisible Harry, who was standing behind Ron. When Molly noticed Ron, she drew him close to her and tried to smile at him. But the attempt failed and a tear rolled down her cheek. Hugging his mother, Ron mouthed "go" to Harry over her shoulder. Harry nodded and waited for Bill, who was coming with Hermione to him. Bill whispered,

"You must be tired after you finished him. If we can get the job done without you, go and rest, Harry."

"No. I won't rest until I see this wand be put back with Dumbledore." Harry whispered back and sought for Ginny among the Weasleys with his eyes. He caught the sight of her putting her hand on George's shoulder. "Is she… okay?"

"I think so. Mum will be alright." Bill answered and corrected himself immediately, guessing from Harry's tone of voice. "Oh, you meant my sister. Yeah, she's alright."

They marched through the long tables. Behind them, Madam Pomfrey was occupied with caring for the injured students. Some Ravenclaws including Cho Chang were helping her.

When they came out of the castle, the setting sun cast the lingering glow of it on the surface of the Black Lake. Bill hauled in the rope which was connected to the edge of a small boat. Harry took off the cloak and got into the boat after Bill and Hermione. When Bill started rowing toward the island where Dumbledore had been sleeping, they heard the beautiful song of the phoenix. Harry rubbed his tired eyes and stared at the spot. To his surprise, one phoenix was getting closer and landed on the boat. "Fawkes?" He asked. The phoenix's scarlet feathers glowed and it's golden claws and beak were gleaming. The loyal bird answered by singing a beautiful healing tune. Listening to it, they felt their fatigue lift and slowly dissipate. When he finished singing, Fawkes took off for the island ahead. When they arrived there, he started singing again. With the healing song, they could regain power to continue examining the white tomb broken by Voldemort.

After elaborate examination, Bill turned to Harry, I don't think there are any curses left," he assured him.

It was a cue for Harry to put the Elder Wand back where it belonged. Hermione muttered something Harry couldn't hear when Bill sealed the gravestone. He reckoned she prayed for Dumbledore. Bill swished his wand, drawing arcs in the air. He chanted a long incantation Harry had never heard of before. When he finished, Bill explained,

"I cast the strongest protecting charm I've ever learned. Nobody who has a guilty conscience can't open this tomb."

"Thank you, Bill. I think our task is complete." Harry looked up at Fawkes who had been soaring high in the air. "Are you helping us? We need you to heal people at Hogwarts," he spoke to him.

Fawkes answered in song and followed the boat to the shore. He kept circling over the castle. His song was heard by people inside the castle, and everyone listened attentively to the phoenix's song. It seemed that everyone was cured and healed by it, even if just for a little while.

Suddenly a male voice broke the peaceful moment. Seamus Finnegan looked intensely sad and shouted out in the Great Hall.

"Fawkes, please cure her!"

When Harry looked at the spot where Seamus's voice came from, he was stunned to see a girl student, fatally injured on the floor. Savaged by Fenrir Greyback, Lavender Brown was in a wretched way. She looked almost dead. Hermione uttered, "No!" and she ran up to them. Professor Trelawney put her hands on Seamus's shoulders trying to calm him, and said,

"Let her go in peace, Finnegan."

"No!" Seamus shook himself free from Trelawney's grasp and ran out of the Great Hall, yelling loudly "Fawkes! Fawkes!"

Harry followed him and shouted together with Seamus. "Fawkes, save her!" He had a ray of hope, remembering the magical tears had healed his wounds inflicted by Basilisk.

Called on by two Gryffindors, Fawkes soared back and swam into the Great Hall. His soft clattering sounds of claws echoed through the hall as he touched ground. Stared at with awe by many people, he hopped towards Lavender. Inclining his head to her mercilessly torn neck, he dropped pearly tears one after another. After a long, drawn out silence, a miracle happened. Lavender stirred and opened her eyes. Though she had a hollow in her neck, the surface of the skin was smooth. After that, Fawkes got busy with curing some people mortally injured. When he shed the last tear for a poor boy student whose legs had been crushed by a giant, he took flight and left.

When Harry saw Fawkes vanish beyond the Scottish night sky, he felt someone grasp his left hand. It was Ginny. He held her hand back.

"McGonagall urged me to ask you to go to the dungeon. You need sleep. Take a shower. No more heroic things, Potter." She said, mimicking McGonagall's tone.

"Oops, it was lucky she didn't reprimand me." Harry said comically.

People smiled at them and cleared the passage for them. Harry was relieved to know that people in the castle were willing to leave them alone. Descending the dark stairs, Harry was still in a bright mood. He guessed the phoenix's song lightened his heavy feeling after the battle.

Ginny whispered to him, "I hate the dungeon. It reminds me of my first year. You know, Tom's diary…" She held his hand tight.

Harry held her hand tight back and said, '"No evil thing will happen here. And you are not alone. I'm here with you, Ginny." Answering, he got a feeling that he was entirely free. Though he couldn't speak Parseltongue any more, he felt he was himself, not under control by the other man.

They reached a wet stone wall and Harry asked, "Do you know the password?"

"Yes, I heard it from Professor McGonagall. Caput Draconis!" When she spoke the password aloud, it revealed a concealed stone door, which slid open.

When they came in the long room, greenish lamps had been lighting the dark underground room. In the center of carved chairs, Luna Lovegood was reading the 'Quibbler' upside down. She talked to them over the old newspaper in her sing-a song voice,

"I used a boy's dorm shower. You can't use a girl's dorm, Salazar Slytherin was afraid that his house's girls would be assaulted by Muggle-born wizards, so you need another password. Even McGonagall doesn't know it. A new Minister should ban such special privilege from Hogwarts. You can use a gorgeous bath tub though. It's made of marble stone. We don't have such a rich treatment in our dorm."

"Oh, really? Thank you for the information. You go first, Ginny." Harry hesitated to have a shower first, caring her.

"Go, Harry. I wait for you until you sleep. I promised McGonagall to make sure you rest. Harry, no more saving people.'" She copied the way of McGonagall's speaking tone.

"Okay, okay." Hardly stifling his laughing, he left for the bathroom. When he opened the door, he was astonished by the grand sight. The bathroom had seven cubicles divided by green frosted glass and each cubicle had a luxurious marble bathtub as Luna told him. Then Neville came out of one of them. He was wearing Slytherin robes. Before Harry asked, he explained,

"House-elves are bringing in clean clothes for us, but they are all Slytherin robes, it's the best they could do given the circumstances."

"I don't mind, are there only us in here?" He was afraid that girls might be using one of the bathtubs in the bathroom.

"No. Only Malfoy right now. I guess he can't get out until you finish."

"What? How did he dare stay here?" His irritated voice echoed through the bathroom. He was still irked remembering Malfoy had prevented him from seeking for the lost diadem in the middle of the battle.

"I reckon Malfoy can't get out because he feels ashamed of himself. But he can't leave here. He is in a complicated situation, you know?" Neville spoke for Malfoy.

"Where is he?"

"At the end." He pointed to the end of the cubicles.

Harry thought of asking Malfoy to get out of there, but rethought it. He remembered his younger days in the cupboard under the stairs, living with the Dursleys. He knew the locked up feeling. He decided to ignore Malfoy. He chose the nearest cubicle and entered.

Taking off his dirty clothes, his stomach grumbled. He regretted he hadn't thought of stopping by the kitchen under the Great Hall. He wondered if Kreacher would come to deliver sandwiches after a shower. The marble stone bottom of the tub was warm under his feet. Taking a shower, he took care of his bruises on his body. Without glasses in the steam, he was vaguely aware of a big scar across on the left side of his chest. He touched the surface of it gingerly. It had formed a scab. His heart started pounding, remembering the moment when he was hit by the Killing Curse. It was still eerie looking back at the fact that the maniac wizard had hunted for him for years.

Suddenly he got nervous; he had survived but had no family. After he finished Voldemort, he was alone in the world. The only reconciled relative he had was Dudley. But he didn't know where his cousin missed Dudley, who had left cold tea in front of his room. Dudley was reluctant to leave Harry alone last time. And he worried about his life in the future after Hogwarts. Hogwarts castle was his home. But he had to leave here soon. After the Dursleys left number four, Privet Drive, it wasn't his home any longer. And he was not sure whether the house still existed or not. It might've been blown out by the Death Eaters. He missed his godfather, Sirius. Without Sirius, Harry didn't want to live in Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore, Lupin had gone. The conversation with Dumbledore in front of Mirror of Erised flashed in his mind. He would still see the same people, his dead parents and dead relatives on the mirror. He missed even the sarcastic professor, Snape, who showed his affection towards Harry in his memory reviewed in the Pensive.

The hot water was dripping by his side. He was standing under an everlasting waterfall, trying to shake off his anxiety. Then someone's voice called his name.

"Harry, are you okay?" It was Ginny. "Kreacher told me you didn't show up yet. I brought you clean clothes. He found Gryffindor robes for you."

Her voice was a warm candle in the dark forest. "Thank you, Ginny. I'm okay." He remembered his last moment in the forbidden forest. Before the curse hit him, he had imagined Ginny in a white wedding dress. The thought brought his bright mood back. He opened the shower curtain. Ginny was still there with clean clothes in her arms. Her face was flushed with embarrassment seeing Harry in the nude at first, then she looked worried as her concerned eyes flashed down his upper body.

"You need to go to Madam Pomfrey." And she handed him a towel.

Her alarming tone of voice made him uneasy. Wrapping the towel around his hip, he asked her to grab him his glasses. When his vision came back, he recognized pus gathering in the big scar on the left side of his chest. It seemed that it got worse by moistening the scab. It was not a stinging pain, but a recurring dull pain. He told her, "It's alright, Ginny. I'm hungry. I'll call Kreacher. Do you like sandwiches?"

But Ginny disregarded his words, her face flashed with concern and spoke in a fretful voice, "It's not okay, at all, Harry. I told you to stop your heroic attitude. Why didn't you ask Fawkes to cure the big scar?"

He was very surprised by her unusual tone. Her voice was trembling, filled with tears. "I thought you were dead when I saw Hagrid carry you in his arms. I thought you might have been killed in the middle of the task. I regretted letting you go with my brother and Hermione alone. I regretted failing in bringing back the sword of Gryffindor from Snape's office. I regretted that I couldn't save Fred. I regretted that I couldn't stop Tonks. I regretted …"

"Ginny, stop. Please." Hastily throwing on the clean clothes, he hugged her tight in his arms. "I'm sorry, Ginny. Please don't cry." He was at a loss. He had never seen her cry like that for years. And he remembered the first year Ginny was sobbing after he broke Tom's diary. He cursed himself for making her worry so much. He sought for the way to calm her down in his mind, but he couldn't think of anything. He kept stroking her head leaning on his shoulder. Then she looked up and her swollen eyes stared at his green eyes through glasses. She spoke,

"Am I still your girlfriend?" The tone of her voice showed she regained her tough temperament.

Harry answered by kissing her. Ginny kissed him back. Her lips tasted salty after crying. His lips caressed hers gently like the kiss would be able to heal her pain. Before their kiss was going to be deepen, they heard a male voice behind them. Harry grabbed his holly wand off the washstand reflexively and took a defensive posture protecting Ginny. When he observed the intruder, it was Malfoy. Harry felt his face flushed remembering Malfoy had been shutting himself at the end of the cubicles. He imagined the old nemesis might have been watching them kiss. He managed to ask, "What are you doing here, Malfoy?"

Malfoy looked worn out in his Slytherin robes and his face was paler than normal. He answered in his small voice, "I asked you to put my wand back."

Harry uttered, "Oh, your wand." He couldn't remember where he put it. While he searched for the best excuse, Malfoy got irritated,

"You must have lost my wand! If you didn't save my life, I would have killed you by now!" He turned around and stormed out of the bathroom.

"Did you take his wand by force?" Ginny asked him.

"It's a long story. Come on. I'm starved." Seeing at her questioning look about his big scar in the chest, he tried assuring her. "I'll go to Hospital Wing immediately when I feel pain."

Ginny consented reluctantly. "Okay, food first. But you have to go to Madam Pomfrey tomorrow morning after enough sleep." She let him promise.

When they came out of the bathroom, Ron and Hermione were eating sandwiches with Neville and Luna. Ron looked up and said,

"We saw Malfoy storm out of here. What happened? Did you fight him in the bathroom?"

"No. He asked me if I had his wand." He sat down on the two-seat chintz sofa with Ginny on the opposite of carved chairs, where the other Gryffindors and Luna were sitting. He took a piece of sandwich and started eating. Then he was slightly disappointed at the filling of his sandwich. It had only cucumbers. When he tried taking another, Ron told him,

"I checked. No ham."

"Oh." His stomach growled as if it got angry being short of meat.

Ginny finished her sandwiches and told Ron. "Watch Harry until he falls asleep. Me and Hermione will take a shower."

When they left for the bathroom, Ron asked Harry,

"Did you get back together?"

Harry finished the second sandwich and his hand reached for the third. He answered, "Ah, sort of…"

"What do you mean? Didn't she forgive you?"

"I'm not sure."

Luna poured pumpkin juice into a goblet and passed it to Harry. She asked him in her dreamy voice, "Are you humming, Harry? I've heard a beautiful tune from your pocket since you came back from the bathroom."

"No." Harry thought Luna was indulging in her flights of fancy, but he was surprised by Neville's next words.

"Harry, I can hear the song from there, too."

Perplexed, Harry started examining his pockets. He wondered if someone left the joke goods from WWW's inside the pockets of robes. He ended the search by pulling out his holly wand. When he was going to open his mouth, he heard a song. The pleasant tune was coming from his wand.

* * *

 **A / N :**

Great beta reading by Grace.


	2. Chapter 2

The sandwich was mocking him and that was just the start of a bad day.

"Master, Kreacher is sorry. It will take one more week to prepare ham sandwiches," Kreacher said.

Harry stared at his cucumber sandwich. He liked the fresh smell of cucumber, but he didn't think he would be able to survive a day without eating meat. Hogwarts needed rebuilding. Manpower was essential, but a food shortage was serious. Lack of protein also didn't do any good for the big scar on his chest. Madam Pomfrey often told him to take eat meat, the iron aiding his recovery of the skin. He fleetingly wondered that if the Dursleys had given him enough food growing up, that if his scar on the forehead might have disappeared. He thought back to whether what Ginny told him the other day was true; if he should have asked Fawkes to cure his big scar on the chest as well. As he thought of his scar, it seemed to hurt more. His attention was interrupted when Ron walked up to him, a shadow on his face.

"Harry, McGonagall told us that Hogwarts will hold a joint service for the dead. For us, that means we will also say goodbye to…" Ron hesitated for a while and finally said, "And my mum and dad agreed with her. McGonagall hinted you will make a funeral address after Minister Kingsley."

Harry grew mournful remembering Fred's death. He still didn't want to admit the person he thought of as a real brother was dead. In spite of the heavy news and his hurting scar, his stomach started rumbling. "This is a bit too much for me. How about Hermione? I'm not a person who makes a great speech in front of people." He took a goblet of pumpkin juice and gulped it down in an effort to not have to speak.

Refilling his goblet, Ron shook his head. "Hermione has already prepared your speech. She didn't beat Voldemort at the last minute. It was you that finished him." He pulled out a sheet of parchment and handed it to Harry.

Harry unfolded it and started reading. Hermione's neat letters were aligned on it.

 _Seventeen years ago, a mad man tried killing a happy family in Godric's Hollow. But his curse bounced back due to the mother's love and the baby survived. The mad man seemed to vanish. Unfortunately, evil resuscitated to this world again and he possessed the power to destruct our Wizarding Community. We fought for freedom. We fought for our cherished people. Our grandparents, our parents and friends have experienced the two wars. Between the two wars, we lost so many precious lives. Thanks to them, we reclaimed peace. Let's pray for the dead. And let's reconstruct our community for them and for ourselves._

Harry looked up. "It's perfect. Where is Hermione?"

Ron frowned. "She's helping McGonagall. I don't know what she is doing exactly. I reckon she'll be Head Girl."

"Then will she go back to Hogwarts to get N.E.W.T.s?"

"She will after she finds her parents in Australia."

Harry shifted uncomfortably, his mood darkening over the thought. "Her parents!" He stood up and winced. The wound on his chest smarted.

Ron looked calm. "You don't have to worry. Kingsley and the rest of the Aurors have already set up investigation headquarters. They will start searching in Australia as well." He frowned, looking seriously at Harry's chest. "Oi, your shirt is slightly bloodstained, mate. Go to the Hospital Wing right now."

Ginny must have heard Ron's yell, as she hurried over to them. She urged him to go to the Hospital Wing. At her insistence, Harry reluctantly faced Madam Pomfrey and took off his shirt. The merciful school healer examined the big scar on his chest with her wand, and muttered.

"Killing Curse. How could you survive this?"

Ginny gasped, her hands jumping to her mouth. Harry hesitated to confess everything, but Madam's severe look relented him to tell the story.

"Madam, the story I'll tell you now is confidential. Ginny, you don't tell this to anybody. Promise, please." He pulled out his holly wand and did the _Muffliato_ charm around them.

"I had no choice. I am the one of his…Voldemort's secret weapon which I can't tell you in detail. What I can tell you is Dumbledore knew everything. I had to be killed by him before finishing him. As a result, I came back and could finish Voldemort."

Overwhelmed by his words, Madam couldn't say a word for a while. Harry was very surprised when her hands touched him on the cheek gently. Tears in her eyes, she spoke, "I thank Merlin that he let you come back to us and you finished the war in the end. I'll do my best for you to cure the wound." She urged him to lie on the bed and applied Essence of Dittany to his chest. After casting some healing charms and applying a large piece of gauze, she said, "I hope the scar will be soothed by this, but I can't promise. Because it's apparent you suffered from the other Unforgivable Curses. I'm afraid they tortured before or after…casting the Killing Curse. Didn't they?"

"Yes, they did." Harry admitted it. It was a horrible memory, they cast the Cruciatus Curse to toy with what they had assumed was his dead body.

"Promise you will visit the Hospital Wing once a day until I can make sure it's getting better."

"Yes, I will. Thank you, Madam."

Ginny was sitting beside him quietly. She didn't say a word, but he could tell from her determined look that she had made a decision. What that decision was, he couldn't guess, but at least she wasn't angry. That was something.

When they came out of the Hospital Wing, she pulled him to the corner behind the Suits of Armor and stared at him intensely. He raised his eyebrows, asking a silent question, and then, . without a word, she stood on her tip toes and kissed him. He considered asking her what she wanted. But her next words were more incomprehensible.

"Do you think the Sorting Hat is still in the Headmistress's office?" Her gaze was blazing.

"I think so…ah, no, the last time I saw was when Neville pulled out the sword of Gryffindor from it to kill the Great Snake. I don't know…" He stared back at her eyes and his heart sank into her beautiful brown eyes. This time, it was him that kissed her.

She reached up and her hand fumbled for his glasses. Finally she took them off. "This is better. I can look your brilliant eyes more."

Feeling the spark from her words, he swept her red hair aside and kissed her on her collarbone. Closed his eyes, he tasted the smoothness of her skin. Then he opened his eyes to hear her whisper,

"Harry, I love you." Suddenly she stepped back. "I'll do anything for you. You won't suffer any more." And with those mysterious words, she turned and ran away.

"Ginny!" He began jogging to follow her. But his scar on the chest protested and he walked. Then Ron and Hermione came around the corner of the corridor.

"I saw Ginny running away," Hermione said. "Did you two have a quarrel or something?"

"No. She remembered something I don't know…" "Maybe, Fred's funeral." Ron answered in a dark mood.

"Yeah, right…" Harry also got gloomy. "Did you get information about time and the place?"

"Yeah. That's why we were looking for you. A joint service will be held tomorrow afternoon. I heard Ron gave you my speech sentences. Are you ready for that?" Hermione asked him.

"Not yet, but I'll learn them by heart tonight."

"Good. You'd better go to bed earlier. Are you okay with the wound?" Ron cast a worried look at him.

"It still hurts, but yeah, it'll be okay." Then he remembered the conversation before going to the Hospital Wing, "I heard Kingsley had set up the team for your parents in Australia, Hermione."

Hermione smiled and said, "Yes, he has. He was so determined, he insisted it would be his first task to search missing people as Minister. He already had some trustworthy information. I have no worries about it. After the joint service, I'll leave for Australia with his team."

Ron gave a light cough and said, "And I'll be there as well."

Harry was dumbfounded. "What did you say?"

Ron's face got red as well as his hair. "I won't repeat. You heard that."

"Oh…well, support her for me." He barely said it. He felt lonely, like he was being excluded. It was not the first time he felt like that though. He had felt the same feeling while hunting Horcruxes, one night at the hiding, sensing their intimacies at the Grimmauld Place. Even though they had just been together, barely minutes before, he found himself missing Ginny.

Gideon Crumb of the Weird Sisters played sorrowful songs in sequence with his bagpipes. Arthur and George held an enormous wreath of flowers and stood up. Bill, Ginny, Ron and Charlie followed them. They prayed for Fred and offered them on the altar set in the center of the platform. Percy stayed with Molly, who had been absentmindedly staring into space. There had been already lots of flowers on it, for everyone else who had lost their lives in the Battle of Hogwarts. When they came back to their seats, Harry saw Arthur pat George on the shoulder. When the last floral tribute was done, Harry stood up from his seat and climbed the platform. All words flooded in his mind and he breathed in to calm himself.

"Fred Weasley…" The name came out of his mouth unplanned. He felt Hermione fidget behind. "He was like a brother for me. His wit, jokes made me laugh during hard times. He was the one of bravest of men. Many people died for freedom. And I survived. I ask to myself why I survived that battle…" He remembered the conversation with Dumbledore after he was hit Killing Curse. "I'm not sure I'm deserved to live. My obligation to everyone who has fought for freedom is make our world better. When I meet Fred again, I want him to feel proud of me. I want my parents to feel proud of me. I want Sirius feel proud of me. I want Cedric feel proud of me. I'd like to complete my mentors' will instead of them. Watch us and guide us, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Lupin, Professor Burbage and…Professor Snape. Watch me and guide me, Mad Eye and Tonks. I have responsibility for all people who died for our freedom and peace of the Wizarding World." And he concluded his speech as Hermione had suggested. "Let's pray for the dead. And let's reconstruct our community for them and for ourselves." When he glanced back, Molly was standing and started clapping her hands. Her eyes were filled with tears. Everyone followed her example. Harry left the platform to thunderous applause, and gave Molly the biggest hug he knew how to.

Hermione and Ron left with Kingsley's team for Australia. Harry stayed at Hogwarts, helping professors to reconstruct classrooms and the Quidditch pitch with the other students. The process to repair the buildings was sped up after parents of Muggle-borns and some Pure-bloods who hated Voldemort's inner circle came back to Britain from a life in exile. Eventually even the food problem was solved and Kreacher and the other house-elves restarted preparing meals cheerfully. Harry's scar on his chest was getting better, but he still needed a check-up once a day.

Every time he visited the Hospital Wing, Ginny was always with him. On their back to the renewed Gryffindor common room, a kiss behind the Suits of Armor became habitual. And they stopped exploring each other when Harry winced feeling a slight pain on the chest. He explained her the condition was getting better, and she seemed to believe him. But that impression turned to be completely false.

When most of the parents, who had helped reconstruction for almost two weeks, went back home, Ginny also disappeared. Harry asked McGonagall where she had gone. She said,

"I heard she had things to do around setting up her brother's tombstone. Didn't she tell you about it?"

"Thank you, Professor. I'll ask ." He still couldn't understand her sudden disappearance.

His fear proved right. When he happened to catch Bill, who stopped by Hogwarts to help professors with protecting charms, he told Harry she hadn't come back to the Burrow. Perturbed, Harry and the Weasleys requested the Aurors to search for her, afraid that she might have been be abducted by the remaining Death Eaters. A few days passed by, and still no news came. Then, early in the morning on the fifth day since she had disappeared, a silvery mare jumped into Harry's four-poster bed. It spoke in Ginny's voice,

"Don't worry about me. I'm safe. Soon I can come back to you, Harry."

* * *

Harry glanced back yawning when McGonagall called him. Since he heard Ginny was back safely to the girls' dorm, he had been able to sleep, the first night in a long time. Still, he felt like he would like to be in bed for a few more hours before breakfast. McGonagall got closer like a tabby cat stealthily once she fixed her aim on him. Vaguely he wished he could transform into a cat. His father's animagus form, a stag, wouldn't move in that way. If Harry was an animagi, his would be supposed to be the same one as his father's. He wondered if McGonagall had tried to be an Auror once in her younger days.

Her piercing eyes were set on his face, which told apparently he was the target.

"Potter, are you hiding something important?"

Rubbing his sleepy eyes, he answered. "Me? Nothing, Professor." Harry couldn't guess what was going on.

"The Sorting Hat is missing. I reckon you or Longbottom are up to something. Tell all to me." Her face got serious. She really looked worried.

"Was the sword stolen from your office again?" At McGonagall's stern look, he regretted what he said.

"How did you know it might have been stolen before?" Her face got more perplexed. "Potter, did you direct Ginny Weasley to get the sword of Gryffindor at that time, last year?"

"No, Professor. How could I do that while hiding? I've just overheard some Gryffindor students tried from Professor Snape's office last year."

McGonagall kept staring hard at him and finally softened her face, "You are right. I believe in you. Anyway, we can't sort new students without the Sorting Hat. If you get some information, let me know." She patted him on the shoulder, "I'm glad to hear Ginevra Weasley is safe. I got a message from her as well. Though we have worried about her whereabouts, it is understandable that she wanted to do some research about a future Quidditch League. After the war, the sports section also need to be put safely back on its feet. Your girlfriend is an excellent Chaser. I don't worry about her future career at all." Smiling, she left.

McGonagall's explanation about Ginny's mission sounded plausible, but Harry couldn't get it. She had one more year to graduate, he suspected she had something to tell him. When he entered the Great Hall in the morning, Ginny was chatting with George and Bill . The Great Hall was crowded with the students and the adults who had been helping with the castle's reconstruction.

"So what rumor did you hear, Ginny?" George asked, shoving bacon into his mouth.

"I heard the Holyhead Harpies will recruit some girls to fill up vacancies in the team. I asked Professor Slughorn to write a letter of recommendation to Gwenog. He told me he wanted crystallized pineapples for the reward, so I went looking for them out of Hogwarts. I'm sorry to let you worry about me, but I have been safe ... without being attacked by the remaining Death Eaters." Her eyes twinkled mischievously, and she waved her hands as Harry got closer to her seat. "Morning, Harry!"

"How could you get out of the castle? I don't think professors ignored a student who left without permission. It's dangerous, Ginny." Bill looked skeptical.

Harry nodded, sitting next to Ginny. "Bill is right. It's reckless of you to leave here without telling that to teachers. At least you should have told me about it." He stared at Ginny's eyes, trying to figure out what she wasn't telling him. He sensed she had been hiding something he couldn't guess.

Ginny evaded his question and shrugged, "I have something to tell you. But not now. I promise I'll tell you."

"Mum has been angry since your missing was found. You might have received her Howler if you were here when the term started." George put one more bacon on the plate.

"Yeah. I had a long lecture from Mum last night." She got gloomy and bit into the toast she had been buttering without a word.

Harry started buttering his own toast. "So could you get crystallized pineapples?"

Ginny nodded. "Yes, I did. But I didn't have enough money, so I gave up."

"You gave up? I'll pay for it." Harry offered and cast a glance at her again. It was apparent that she was lying about something. She didn't leave for searching crystallized pineapples. She must have been out there for another reason.

She whispered to him, "Come with me." And she stood up suddenly and left.

"But I'm not done with my breakfast yet." Grumbling, he grabbed his unfinished toast and followed her hastily to the entrance hearing George's mumble to Bill from behind, "I reckon they had a quarrel, that was the reason why she left last week."

"Wait, Ginny. Where are we going?" Harry halted her.

Swaying her ginger hair, she stared at him with her blazing look. "I heard a rumor that Dumbledore's phoenix visits his tomb once a day. So I camped near it."

"What?" Harry got dumbfounded with her words.

"Come on. I recorded his pattern. I got a Sorting Hat." She turned to the entrance and walked down the hill to the Great Lake.

"What? McGonagall asked me if I stole it." Harry hurried and caught up with her.

"We need it to lure him on. Do you remember how you called Fawkes in the Chamber of Secret?"

"I understand what you mean, but it's impossible to lure him with the Sorting Hat!"

Ginny stopped and face him. "Why? Fawkes helped us. He brought the Sorting Hat to save you and me."

"Because Dumbledore let him do that. I needed the sword of Gryffindor to beat Basilisk. Fawkes will help you when real loyalty is shown to Dumbledore."

"That's what I mean, Harry. We got a Sorting Hat and we will show our loyalty to his tomb. When Fawkes returns to us, your wound will be healed!" She blurted out. "What if the wound was cursed by Dark Magic? What if no healers can find a way to cure it?"

"What…Ginny, is that the real reason why you've been away?" Overwhelmed by her boldness, her intention to heal his wounds, he felt lost for words. He was very thankful for her care, but at the same time, her attempt sounded quite illogical. "You'd better give the Sorting Hat back to McGonagall." He started thinking an excuse for it.

"No. I found Fawkes was fond of this." Ginny pulled out the pointy black hat and rubbed the ragged surface of it fondly like it was her pet. "The Hat told me so. Fawkes and the Hat are friends."

"Did it talk to you?" He stared at the Sorting Hat, remembering when he was sorted. The Sorting Hat had asked which house he preferred. "How could you notice it?"

"It was simple. I put it on my head. I asked it how to lure Fawkes. It told me they were friends. I put it by Dumbledore's tomb as it said. I waited hiding in the bushes. It worked, Harry. Fawkes landed on the ground after he noticed the Hat! Come on, Harry. He prefers visiting Dumbledore's tomb in the morning!" She turned and trotted down to the lake.

Harry jogged after her and soon got ahead of her. As he passed her, Ginny sped up to try to reach the goal first, a pier where some boats parked waiting. Harry won the impromtu race and got on a boat with peeling blue paint. He held out his right hand and pulled her on board. The boat moved slowly from side to side rippling the surface of water. Ginny grabbed the paddles faster than him saying, "No, you can't. It will hurt your chest." The determined look was just like her mother, Molly. His pride slightly hurt, he reluctantly let her row across the lake. Bending to the oars made her breasts bounce, and he couldn't stop gazing at them so close up.

With a grin plastered across her face, she teased him, "Where are you looking at, Potter?"

Blinking, he uttered, "You're not wearing a bra."

"I skipped underwear." She added the words to see his blushed face, "Oh, I meant my top. It is too tight around the chest given the situation I had to cover the Hat."

Harry grinned comparing vulnerable Ginny, the first year and pale nearly dead in the Chamber of Secret, with the girl whose eyes were full of energy to achieve something for him. Then he asked, "Why are you so confident that Fawkes will come back again, Ginny?"

With sparks in her eyes, she answered, "Because you saved the world costing your own life. Because you were brave at the very end. Because you are the most loyal to Dumbledore." And she started rowing again.

The foggy air was becoming clear as they got closer to the island where Dumbledore slept. When the boat got to the shore, Harry stood up and hopped out and helped Ginny to anchor the boat. At the stone that marked where Dumbledore lay, she set the Sorting Hat by Dumbledore's tomb. She beckoned him to hide in the bush near it. Being unsure about it, he followed her.

"Are you really sure of this?" When he opened his mouth, she hushed putting her index finger on her lips. He crouched down behind her back and breathed in flowery scent from her hair. Her soft ginger hair tickled his jaw.

"Look, Harry. The Hat will sing."

"What?" Harry shifted his gaze from her to the Hat. It started repeating shrinking and stretching itself and he heard it hum merrily. "It's the song when we were sorted." The familiar lyrics were sung and he smiled at his dear old memory in his first year.

"The last time, it sang the one when I was sorted. It's unbelievable it can memorize the songs and changes the verses each year," she answered, smiling.

"Yeah…" He was listening to the song for a while and then recognized a dot was approaching towards the island from the cloudy sky above. It appeared to be a glowing red phoenix among the iridescent clouds. Fawkes sang back to the Sorting Hat and landed gently on the ground. At the same time, Harry felt vibration inside the pocket of his robes. His holly wand, the Phoenix feather core became resonant with its song. Unconsciously, he came out of the bush pulling his wand before Ginny stopped him. The wand bent like it bowed to Fawkes and he saw it emit light orange sparkles.

The Sorting Hat spoke.

"Wet the tip of your wand with tears of the Phoenix."

Harry got closer to Fawkes and held his wand to its beak. The loyal magical bird shed tears and they wet the tip of his wand. Ginny came out of the bush and whispered to him from behind,

"Take off your clothes, Harry. It will heal the wound on the chest." She took his wand and held it in her hand while he was taking off his robes.

Harry took off T-shirt and removed the bandage. He traced the big scar with the tip of his wand. The ugly welt turned into a scab as he felt a dull pain and finally it ceased aching. When he tried to peel off the scab on the chest, Ginny stopped him.

"Not now, Harry. You'd better wait till Madam Pomfrey checks it up."

When the Sorting Hat finished the song, Fawkes soared into the sky and circled over their heads. Harry thanked him waving his hand, "Thank you, Fawkes!" Fawkes chirped singing and vanished in an instant.

* * *

 **A/N : Many thanks to Grace and melian for beta reading.**

Though I've been busy and will be, I will try to continue this story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 Her Unwanted Child**

Morgana took off her mask and took a squint at a door with peeling red paint. A nurse must be in the house. Finally she discovered a clue to Bellatrix Lestrange's unwanted child. She put on her mask again and pointed her wand at the keyhole, muttering under her breath. Her spell hit the right target and the door clicked opened in front of her. When she entered the house, a grey-haired witch stood up from a chair by a hearth. Her shadow swayed lit by a flame which had just blazed up.

Perturbed, she asked, "Who are you?" Her half-finished novel fell from her lap onto the floor with a thud.

"I can't tell who I am. Where is the child?" Her voice was clear in spite of her mask.

The old nurse straightened herself up. "I can't tell you if you conceal who you are. Take off the mask!" Pulling her wand, she tried to cast a disarming charm.

Morgana was faster. She muttered, 'Imperio' and asked again, "Where is Bellatrix Lestrange's daughter? What's her name?"

The nurse looked at Morgana with vacant eyes and answered, "Schloss Heidelberg. Her name is Verina Schlusser. A keeper of the jailers, Blau's adopted daughter."

* * *

Harry and Ginny were staring at the sunset hand in hand on the bench in the Quidditch pitch. It was a beautiful evening at Hogwarts. His cursed scar was cured and Hogwarts rebuilding would be finished soon. There was a hope for the future. Feeling her soft skin in his hand, he wondered if it was too early to talk about what their future might hold. For Harry, this meant his future family. They might work or study before getting married, but he couldn't stop being lost in thought of his future family. It was his earnest desire. His dream was to build a happy home he had lost for seventeen years.

Ginny leant against his shoulder. She was still gazing at orange glow in the sky. This was the time. He spoke, "Hey, have you ever thought of the future?" His heart started beating faster. He found the idea of confiding his dreams with her terrifying, and wondered how his father had dared to propose to his mother. He must have prepared everything, like an engagement ring or a place to live together. Harry had Grimmauld Place and he might be able to find fancy jewelry for Ginny in the Potters' vault at Gringotts later. He said to himself in his mind, it was just research before preparing everything. If Ginny didn't like Grimmauld Place, he would find a better place. "If you get an offer from Holyhead Harpies, will you move to Wales after Hogwarts?"

Ginny sighed, "Before that, I have to get NEWTs. Aren't you going back to school this year?"

"I don't know. Kingsley hinted that some of us, who fought against Death Eaters could skip NEWTs and could be assigned to Auror training in the Ministry."

"So you and Ron will do that."

"What do you think?" Harry tried searching what she felt right now staring at her chocolate brown eyes he admired so much. As he expected they stared back straight to his green ones.

"It's your life. Why should my opinion matter?"

"Won't you miss me?"

"I won't, if you promise to send me an owl every week." She smiled brightly.

"I promise. I can't promise I will write a longer one though."

"Good. I'll ask my dad to buy me a new owl for this. I guess he can as he will be promoted in the Ministry, and I am the only child who goes to school this year. All mum worries about is me. So my parents can afford a new owl."

* * *

Harry had a weird dream last night after the first training session in the Ministry.

 _His father, James held a baby in his arms and talked to him, "Harry, remember me. That star is me." He pointed at a twinkling silver star in the sky. Perfect black velvet wrapped a father and a son. The gentle breeze sometimes passed by and ruffled the two messy jet-black hair. Innumerable constellations scattered in the heavens above. Among them, he found a bright star and told his son it was him._

 _Crickets repeated singing and pausing. He listened, fascinated to the chirping of the insects in the thick grass. Like their music was a prelude, Lily in the kitchen began humming while she was preparing dinner. Her soprano voice was really beautiful and he felt Harry purr in his arms. Listening to her song, James tried to tell himself their decision was right. A secluded life gave an impression of a narrow, closed world. He hated unsociable daily life, but it was just for Harry. They had to protect him from any harm no matter what. It was his fate to choose such a runaway life for his son since he heard a prophecy from Dumbledore._

 _In darkness, something moved. Without his noticing it, the chirping of the insects died out. A snake slithered away through the grass. It seemed ominous and he held Harry tight. He was not sure that he was ready for facing Voldemort. There were many what ifs. What if James chose to run away with Lily to America before going back to England from Ireland? What if Sirius succeeded in persuading that Druidic chieftain to harbor them? What if Voldemort targeted Frank and Alice's son? James shook his head and talked to Harry again. "It's your fate, Harry. Are you ready for your fate? I still can't believe the prophecy. I can't imagine my treasure, this little Harry will defeat the Dark Lord in the future. Hey, little soldier, are you listening?" He brushed gently against his son's puffy cheeks. Harry kept staring at James quietly with his cute round eyes. "Your eyes are just like your mother's. So beautiful, like emerald green Ireland's hills." Then his eyes caught the same bright star he found just before. He felt like repeating the same words. "There, that star is your father's. If I don't survive, it will watch what you are going to instead of me. Don't worry. Dumbledore will protect you no matter what. The Order are doing their best right now." Though he had defied Voldemort three times already, he didn't have confidence he would be able to survive next time. Especially that night. A quiet and unspeakable fear was creeping up on him and he felt disinclined to boast about his dueling skill. If Lily was there, she would have said it was unlucky to tell Harry to remember the star in the sky as his father's. But his uneasy feeling, fear for death let him do that. It was unbearable to imagine infant Harry and Lily left alone after he died. As if he tried to delete such an awful figment from his mind, he kept staring at the twinkling star among the Milky Way._

" _James, are you still there? The evening breeze is getting chilly. Harry may catch a cold. Come inside. Dinner is ready," Lily called. She was wearing a white apron and standing there smiling at them. She took Harry from him, held the child in her arms and kissed him on the forehead. "Good boy, Harry. You didn't cry with your Daddy." She looked up and said to James, "Go ahead and eat dinner. All is set on the table. I'll feed him first."_

" _Harry didn't cry at all. It may be about time to try baby food?" James suggested remembering his son's birthday was coming._

" _Not yet. My breasts are bursting." She smoothed Harry's untidy black hair. She chuckled, "Look at his hair. It looks just like yours. So thick and messy."_

" _Not the same as mine. His is softer." He smiled back._

 _When they entered the house, James cast a Warming Charm on the soup and sat on the sofa. He was going to wait for Lily. He wanted to have dinner with her. Lily began breastfeeding Harry. It was adorable to watch the tiny hands placed on his mother's breast and the little infant be absorbed in sucking milk. James tried to remember his infant days. His mother Euphemia Potter might have fed him, but he was not sure she breastfed him. Anyway she brought him up with her full affection. His father Fleamont was more lenient with him. He remembered Euphemina sometimes complained Fleamont had bought him anything he wanted. Euphemina was stricter than Fleamont concerning about home discipline. He chuckled, imagining Lily would scold him when he bought Harry any toys he would want._

" _What are you laughing?" Lily looked up and asked him with curious look holding Harry._

" _I've been thinking to ask Sirius to buy tons of toys in Diagon Alley."_

" _Oh, James. Don't spoil Harry. I don't want him to grow into an arrogant child."_

" _Like I used to beat Hogwarts?" James teased her._

 _Lily pretended to be disgusted at his words, but her eyes were not. "James, I told you. I want to bring up Harry to be an honorable man we will be proud of."_

" _Yeah, I know. He will be braver than any men. The prophecy says he will defeat the Dark Lord. I just want to show how I love him."_

 _Lily looked stiffened at the words, "The prophecy". She said quietly, "Don't say it aloud. It's harsh to charge him with such a heavy task. I don't want to admit what professor Dumbledore said."_

 _Harry in her arms was going to sleep. James stared at his innocent face for a while and said quietly, "Lily, it's a reality. You admit or not, I fought Voldemort three times. If I fail next time, Harry has to face him."_

" _He is still a baby! How can he duel him? Don't say you will fail next time. You will survive next time, too. If you were to die…" her voice turned to fade and she hung her head with tears in her eyes. Holding Harry tight in her arms, she stood up. Without saying a word to James, she climbed the stairs to the nursery._

 _James sighed and stood up and sat at the table on which a bowl of cold soup was waiting after Warming Charm ran out._

The memory was so sad to remember. His father died and became the star. What he said in the dream came true. Harry wondered if the things in the dream really happened while he was a baby. Maybe it did. He felt like he had had the same dream a few times since he pored over asking Ginny about their future before he left Hogwarts for training. He was sad that his parents in the dream didn't look happy. He reached his hand to the photograph on which they were waving and smiling at him. "Dad, mum, thank you for giving me a life. I was happy with you even for a very short time." And he gave a big sigh.

* * *

Verina stared at the picture Morgana handed her. It was difficult to take in her words about her mother, the dead Death Eater in Britain. She knew she had been an unwanted child from a noble family. Her foster father told her about it. However, she had just imagined that she was born after the one of her parents had been two-timing the other. Now she wished her imagination had been true. She didn't want a mother who was a Death Eater. And this Morgana told her that her mother was killed during the battle at Hogwarts. She didn't feel emotional angst about the fact at all.

"You'll see soon, Verina. Soon your biological father will be given a life sentence in Azkaban. You need to claim for an heir to his property as a legitimate child. Lestrange will arise again."

"I don't want to be a criminal. No." She shook her head, when her black velvet ringlets danced on her shoulders.

Morgana scoffed at her and spoke, "I'll teach you everything to get power in Britain. Enjoy the secrets of ancient magic. You'll be soon enthralled by it."

Verina's innocent black eyes stared at her. Morgana stared back. "My little kitten, I'm your mentor. I came here to help you out. Will you be satisfied with life here?"

"No, I can't go with you. I have a baby in my belly." Verina stroked her stomach.

"Poor child, her father ran away after he gave you the baby." She touched Verina's forehead and read her mind and said, "You are adept at making potions. You enchanted the young man in the same way as Tom Riddle's mother did. Do you want the child to be rotten in this dark, shady dungeon as an unnamed keeper of the jailers?"

Verina didn't think that way. She closed her eyes and meditated on it.

* * *

 **A/N : Thanks to melian's great beta reading, I could post this chapter. Thank you for stopping by. Please leave your thought.**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Astronomy Tower**

Apple blossoms and leaves blocked out a view of the garden of Lestrange Manor House. Her thick black hair shone in the pale moonlight from the window. She opened a small Muggle notebook and began writing her journal. The timeline was not in order. She wrote her memories at random.

 _I knocked on the door to see him again. I longed for seeing him since I had met him in a small Muggle village surrounded by beautiful snow-capped mountains. As he was popular among local maidens with snow white skin which I didn't have, I brewed a potion to seduce him. I cursed my biological parents who didn't have milky skin. My foster parents used to have, but their long spending in a dark dungeon room made their skin pale in an unhealthy way. Mine was not even pale, but reddish-brownish like an ancient English man. I wondered if my biological mother's skin was same as mine._

 _I fell in love with the Muggle doctor. Actually, it was one-way love. He had already got engaged to a bakery's daughter. The odds were against me. I made a potion to seduce him._

 _The blond haired man opened the door and the area above his eyes was pushed together to see me. "Guten Morgen, Fräulein Verina." After I told him my condition, he hesitantly let me in._

 _I followed him and sat on a stool in front of him. Standing, he put a stethoscope around his neck and tried smiling at me. "Merlin, he is so cute." I muttered in my mind. While he was searching my file for diagnosing me, I pulled a vial from my sleeve and hastily poured liquid into his mug on a walnut desk._

 _He turned his body to me and made a feigned smile. Flipping pages, he took the mug and drank it. I opened my front and waited for the moment. My plot worked as I planned. His blue eyes were glued to mine._

 _I was going to tell him we would have a child. I could have enchanted him to be my husband. But I didn't do that. Since I had a baby in my belly, the desire that her father should be a powerful wizard, started burning inside my heart. I wondered if blood would tell, my biological mother's temperament, the strong desire to devote herself to someone, ran in my blood. As Morgana suggested me, I was thrilled at the plot that I could lure the Savior of the Wizarding World. He looked so handsome on the magical photo of the Daily Prophet and he must be a powerful, promising wizard. The most unforgettable things were his eyes, the intense green eyes._

 _I stared at the back of my biological father who was being sent to Azakaban. I couldn't fathom what he was thinking right now after being given life sentence. Morgana took care of all inheritance procedures. A position as an heir of Lestrange was bigger than my imperceptible pity mercy for him. My uncle, Rabastan, who was hiding somewhere, was the only threat for Morgana. I didn't know why my mentor was afraid of him. Suddenly, he glanced back and as soon as his glaring eyes met mine, they got wide in astonishment. I saw the same reddish-brownish color on his face. He muttered,_

 _"_ _Bella?" He might see my mother in my face._

 _I didn't respond and kept staring at his eyes. Then he was pulled into the prison by Hit Wizards in black robes._

 _What Morgana taught me first was how to do animagi. It was hard for me with my baby in my belly. Without the old bartender, we couldn't survive._

* * *

Aurora Sinistra was staring at the photo on which Alastar Moody was nervously dancing with her at the Yule Ball. She knew he was a false Auror. Actually, he was Crouch under disguise. In spite of the deception, elated feeling was true at that time. So it was her favorite photo. She sighed for the moment lost and stood by the window, from which she could see twinkling stars sending a signal that peace finally visited the castle. Then she found an ominous sign among them in the dark sky. The new star which had just been born, blinked irregularly. She couldn't fathom the true meaning of it. She needed to consult with the centaur, Firenze. Sybill was a trusted diviner only when she was in her particular trance state. Sinistra knew what she should do first. The school owl could deliver her message to the spot where he spent time in his colony with the other centaurs.

She hurried to the owlery. When she reached West Tower after repeating up and down the stairs, she was surprised by a stranger. The woman gave Sinistra mysterious smile which made her shiver.

"Who are you? How did you enter the castle?"

"I can do transforming, obviously." She smirked. "Flight as an owl is fun. The security of this castle is left open to attack. Alas, you cannot go to the headmistress after you know me." Morgana held her left hand in the air high and cast wandless magic upon the poor star gazer.

Hit by ancient powerful magic, Sinistra was stunned and fell down on the cold stone floor. Looking down the victim, Morgana crouched down and pulled the string of Sinistra's dark brown hair. "I'll try polyjuice trick. In my old time, the invention wasn't produced yet. It'll be much fun." She thanked Lestrange's library where she got modern magical information. Once again, she put her left hand over Sinistra's face and whispered, "Wake up, beautiful. I'll alter your memory. You put me up for a teacher here. My Verina will be you later."

* * *

Hermione was considering of the meaning of the song the Sorting Hat performed before sorting the students. The lyrics sung by the Sorting Hat was impressive. It sang about the House Unity. It was a plausible explanation after so many precious lives were lost. The importance of the House Unity was proven through rebuilding the castle during summer. She smiled at Gryffindor newbies on the long table. The nearest boys were chatting about 'the boy who defeated the Dark Lord'. She missed her best friend. Her gaze shifted to the wall decorated with silver and green. There were few in number compared with the table with yellow and black clothes. At the Ravenclaw table, Luna wearing a Lion Hat stood out among the students. She must have been telling her housemates how Neville and Harry beat Voldemort. Perhaps, her name and Ron's might be heard in the heroic saga.

On the platform, McGonagall was talking with Professor Sprout. She missed Dumbledore who had been dead for over one year since she saw him last on the funeral. Then she noticed a new teacher and whispered to Ginny at the Gryffindor long table. "Who is sitting next to Professor Sprout?"

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know. She looks like a sort of ice doll to me. It will be interesting if she is a new DADA teacher."

Astonished, she stared at Ginny's face. "You may be right…" She glanced back at the beautiful witch on the platform. Her hair was strawberry blonde. Her eyes were twinkling with mischievous glint. "It will be exciting if we have a female professor for Defence against Dark Arts class."

"It will be. But I don't like her." Ginny took a green apple and bit it. "I wish she will be better than Umbridge at least."

Hermione tried to say more. Then she stopped to listen to the words spoken from the platform.

"Attention!" McGonagall stood up from her chair. Growing old though, there surly rested true intelligence in her eyes. With her affectionate smile, she gazed around the students in the Great Hall. "I'm really glad to see seniors and juniors get together here. Study hard and get good results required for your future career. I'd like to introduce a new DADA teacher. Professor Morgana Evans."

Ginny and Hermione responded together, "What?" They were astonished to hear the last name. Harry's mother's maiden name.

* * *

Summer was ending and fall was hastily approaching. Harry shoved open the red telephone box. The reason why he didn't use the underground public toilet to the Ministry entryway was that he hated using it. It reminded him of hardship during hunting for Horcruxes. Thanks to his trainee Auror's identity card, he could pass the reception counter faster than the other people in a queue. He found if he left Grimmauld Place earlier, it wouldn't take much time to pass the counter as using the toilet, where Ministry officers stood in a line. He arrived at his cubicle well ahead of time and picked up the document on the top of the files given by the boss, Robards. His task was gathering information about the key word, "the unidentified hooded wizard spotted" mostly in a deserted manor house or in an inn on the bleak roadside. Some witnesses had been reported on the record about unregistered animagi. His face was contorted with pain remembering Sirius. Shaking off his thought, he continued reading the unrolled parchment. There were three animagi : A coyote, a raven and an owl. The site where they were spotted made him feel uneasy. Highland near Hogwarts. Abruptly, he stood up. He walked to the cubicle where his boss was talking with Williamson and Savage.

Wearing a pair of Muggle sunglasses, Robards ordered Williamson, "Station more Aurors in Muggle main cities. They robbed their properties under the terrorists in disguise." His knowledge about Muggle cases was profound. That's why Kingsley summoned him for building a new scheme of the Ministry.

Williamson retorted, "But sir, we can't send any more of us. We need to train the lads." His ginger red hair was tied low in a ponytail.

"Then send them to the spot as well. They will be more useful than …" Robards noticed Harry behind the senior Aurors. "What, Potter?"

"Excuse me, sir. We need to send a few to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade." Harry passed the parchment.

"What did you find?" Unrolling it, Robards asked.

"Three animagi were witnessed .What annoys me the most is that two of them are birds."

"The owlery of Hogwarts is not immune to attack, do you mean?"

"Yes, that's the thing the curse breaker, William Weasley pointed out."

"Let me see it," Williamson took the record and read it aloud, "The barman's witness. A blonde witch transformed into a barn owl and flew away to Forbidden Forest. The same person saw a fat raven transform back to a human form. She was pregnant."

"John Dawlish reported about her. I remembered it." Having a look at the report from behind, Savage spoke. He stroked his shaved head.

"We need to know about it in detail. I'd like to speak with Mr. Dawlish," Harry asked his boss.

Robards coughed and spoke, "He's been confounded again. His memory is not reliable source. Dedalus has been investigating the case in Hogsmeade."

"Can I join him, sir?" Harry asked.

Robards nodded adding, "Go with your partner, Weasley."

Being called his name, Ron snapped at the command, "Yes, sir." He stood up from a swivel chair in his cubicle and stood beside Harry. He was very thankful his mate became his partner since the Auror training session had begun. Ron could read their body language and follow him anytime he needed.

Robards continued, "Make contact with Dedalus at the Hogsmeade station. If you need to investigate the other places, keep in touch with me. Send your Patronus message. "


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 Trace**

Cool air was wrapping the entire town of Hogsmeade. A short wizard turned up the collar of his old trench coat on a platform of the station. He squinted at the cloudy sky. He was informed that they would come by broom. After watching and protecting Dursleys, he had been stationed at Hogsmeade. Auror's job would never end. He couldn't remember when he had a holiday break. It didn't mean the boss let him work so hard. Dedalus Diggle loved his job. He came to like it more after his favorite newbie, the hero Harry Potter determined to follow the same path. He had lots to tell him. It was his joy.  
He made sure his wand in his pocket of the robes and glanced at his wrist watch. It was ten past two. The sunlight was weak behind the clouds. Then he grinned at the dots coming closer to the ground. Here they came. Potter and Weasley glided down the air, landed on the edge of the platform brilliantly. He came closer to the young men.

"Did you have a nice trip, lads?" Dedalus looked up at their face and gave them a broad smile. He was shorter than Harry and Ron.

"Hardly," Panting heavily, Ron pulled out his wand. He tapped the handle of the broom. Soon it got shrunken so small that he could shove it into the pocket of his navy-blue uniform.

Harry did the same job as Ron. He liked the pocket of his uniform. It could stow his belongings as much as Hermione's beaded bag. He touched the tip of his wand on the cuff trimmed with silver fluting. It turned into ordinary teacher's black robes.

Ron looked perplexed a little, "Will we become professors?"

"Do you prefer a student in disguise?" Harry asked him.

"No, but do we really need this?"

Dedalus showed his intention to approve. "A good idea. Nobody will suspect teachers in this town are investigating something." Instantly, his brown trench coat was changed into black robes.

Ron was reluctant to do the charm. That was not where he was good at.

"Practice is the only way to master the charm." Dedalus encouraged him.

"Okay," Ron concentrated his attention on the spell and tried transforming his uniform. It worked. He gave them a shy smile.

"This way, professors." Dedalus descended the platform and led them to the destination.

They walked through the high street in the village. Dedalus didn't stop any shops there. Ron talked to Harry, "This path, if my guess is right…"

"Yeah, I know."

When he answered, Dedalus stood in front of a dodgy pub and turned to them. "Have a pint, professors?"

Aberforth Dumbledore looked sullen and continued wiping a glass. His bright blue eyes sometimes stared at Harry as if he would say something anytime soon. Ron sat at the corner and smiled at the portrait of Ariana awkwardly. She was standing radiating a peaceful atmosphere in the picture frame. Harry carried two mugs of Butterbeer and sat the opposite of Ron.

Dedalus kept chatting animatedly at the counter, "Mr. Dumbledore, I'm so happy to have these war heroes. I heard you fought well at the battle."

Aberforth finally opened his mouth, "Dedalus, I thought I talked all about the woman. What do you want to know more?"

Dedalus sipped Butterbeer, "I heard she was pregnant. I reckon it must have been hard for an expectant mother to transform herself."

Aberforth served goat cheese for him, "Freshly made this morning." And he pulled his wand to deliver it onto the table where Harry and Ron were sitting at.

Ron got a whiff of the cheese and had a bite from it. "Good!"

Aberforth grinned satisfied and urged Harry to try it. Harry picked a piece of it and took a bite of it. It tasted creamy and sour. He liked it, too.

Harry asked, "Did you meet the woman who transformed into animagus, a raven?"

"Aye. She seemed to be very interested in you." Aberforth's piercing light blue eyes stared at his.

"Me?" Harry was startled. "Why?"

Ron asked with his worried look, "Why did she get interested in Harry? What was she like? Wasn't she a Death Eater?"

"No, she wasn't. She didn't have a Dark Mark on her arm. Some people may think she is beautiful. Her hair was black ink and she had heavily lidded eyes with long eyelashes. She was jealous of Ariana's skin even she was in the portrait. She seemed to feel ashamed of her tanned face." Aberforth looked up at the portrait. "Stared at so intensely, Ariana had gone to visit her other portrait frame at Hogwarts."

"So you had a chance to observe her well. How long did she stay here?" Harry asked.

"Not so long. The other witch took her away after she regained her strength to stand and walk."

Dedalus chimed in, "I heard that part. Are you really sure you can't remember the other's face?"

"Sure. It was unlucky for me Ariana wasn't in the portrait at that time. The hooded witch must have enchanted me. When I try to remember her, everything gets blurry." He stood in front of the portrait.

Ariana in the portrait gestured by placing her hand on the chest as if she tried to say sorry to her brother.

Harry and Ron exchanged glances. Harry wondered how powerful the witch's magic was. Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth was brave at the Battle of Hogwarts. He could be said he was one of the best warriors.

Dedalus started pacing up and down in narrow space beside the counter. It seemed that it was the sign when he contemplated to make shreds of witness one piece. He mumbled,  
"An exhausted woman landed in front of this pub in a non-registered animagus form, a raven. When Aberforth took care of her, she didn't have the Dark Mark. So she is not a Death Eater. She was pregnant. At least, we need to inquire her what true motive was. A mysterious witch took her away. Only eye witness can't remember her face…"

"Can we collect and review the memory?" Harry asked Aberforth.

"Yes, you can. Before collecting my memory, I'll show you the room upstairs. She rested there for a while. I let her drink water. Though the glass was already washed, you may find evidences."

The wallpaper of the room had a brown tint at the peeled edges. A faded quilt on the bed had the fragrance of mildew.

"When did you clean this room?" Ron screwed up his face.

"I clean this room once a week, mostly on Sundays. But I didn't last Sunday. I thought you would need investigation. So it has been untouched for ten days." He picked a small spider hung from the ceiling and blew it out from the window.

Ron flinched to see it and looked up the ceiling in horror as if more of them might descend from there.

Harry noticed a string of ink black hair on an off white pillow and collected it into a freezer bag. It was Gawain's idea. Since they got a new boss, Muggle items had been often adopted. Dedalus peeked into a litter bin at the corner. He beckoned Harry forward,

"Give me one more bag. I missed this among the tissue papers before." Dedalus levitated a crumpled paper and put it down into another freezer bag Harry held out. He looked around the room once again and said, "We are done. Let's get your memory, Aberforth."

They went down the stairs.

* * *

"Why did you draw three blanks?" Hermione asked Ginny who was sitting at the desk with her chin propped on her hands with a severe look.

"The Gryffindor Quidditch team needs a Keeper, a Seeker and one more Chaser." Ginny heaved a big sigh.

"You forget Dean Thomas."

"I can't let him join."

"Does he still have some feelings for you?"

"I don't know. The reason is for Harry."

"Oh, I see. He will be jealous of him."

"Yeah…"

"Tryouts will help you?"

"I think so. Oops, what's the next subject?"

"Seventh Gryffindor students will have DADA and Astronomy in the afternoon." Hermione said and closed her schedule notebook.

Ginny shoved the note in her pocket of the robes and stood up. She slung her school bag on the shoulder and said, "Let's go."

On their way to the classroom, Hermione spoke excitedly, "It will be thrilling. It's the first DADA lesson for us!" She marched into the classroom.

Ginny didn't follow her and stopped before entering the room. It was once a place of fear. That was the place where Seamus was tortured by Carrows to protect junior Gryffindor students. Thanks to Neville, she was barely saved from being the target as Potter's ex-girlfriend and a blood traitor's sister.

"Ginny, are you okay?" Hermione asked her anxiously.

Ginny smiled weakly, "I have flashbacks of last year."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know what happened here while we were…"

"Hermione, I'm okay. Where shall we sit?"

"In front, if you don't mind?"

"Fine. Let's see the Ice Queen in action up close."

"And we can ask about her surname, Evans."

They sat together in the front row next to Parvati and Demelza, who smiled at them cheerfully. Demelza spoke to Ginny, "When will be tryouts?"

"Next Saturday. I'll make posters tonight." Ginny answered and set a textbook and a quill on the desk. Then she noticed she had finished up her parchment when she wrote a letter to Harry last night. "Can I borrow a sheet of parchment?"

"Sure." When Hermione handed it to her, Professor Evans entered.

The strawberry blonde witch walked up elegantly through the aisle between the desks. She wore grass green robes and her hair was braided and wrapped around her head gorgeously. She spoke confidently, "You were given a textbook from the Ministry. If you want to learn from the textbook, go home. I'll teach you what are not written there. Any questions?" Her voice took on the status of divinity.

Mesmerized completely, getting caught up in her posture, Hermione held up her hand straight in the air.

"Miss?" Professor's fresh basil green eyes pierced Hermione.

Thrilled at her stare, she stood up and asked, "I'm Hermione Granger. Your surname is very familiar to me. Where are you from?"

Professor Evans gave her mystic smile, "I won't tell you until you prove you are smart enough to learn my hometown. Your task has already been started. Any other questions?"

Mystified by her short remark, Hermione sat down. Ginny raised her hand,

"I'm Weasley. Last year, educational curriculum didn't function at all. Teachers taught students Unforgivable Curses. I'd like to tell you that we don't want to learn the Dark Arts. Teach us real defense against evil act."

Evans's eyes got intense at Ginny's words. "Very well, Miss Weasley. I'll accept your request." She turned around and climbed up the platform where an old battered box was set.

It was about the size of a Quidditch chest. Ginny expected they could see traditional Quidditch gears or something similar to them. Then all students were astounded by an unidentified object Evans took out with her both hands. It looked like an egg. They could see cracks on the rusty colored surface.

"Is this a dragon egg?" Hermione uttered.

"That's' right. We will learn how strong the dragons had been. I'll tell you the things nobody taught you before."

"But, professor, this is not Care of Magical Creatures class." Hermione retorted.

"Is it too early for you to learn about Merlin's magic? If you don't like this, I'll change my plan." Evans was going to put the egg back into the box.

"Wait, professor, please continue." Hermione begged in earnest.

"Good." Morgana Evans closed her eyes. Her old memory, her rival flashed back in her mind. It was about time to change his rule after a long time. Very long time.

* * *

After Harry collected Aberforth's memory into the phial, he passed it to Ron. Being tensed, Ron put it into his inner pocket of the robes. Shaking the head, Aberforth stood up,

"Well, it's easy to review it at my brother's sanctuary. Do you want to do shortcut to the castle? Use the portrait. Ariana,"

Dedalus cut in, "This time, we will feedback your memory at the headquarters. It depends on the outcome, we may need teamwork."

When they got ready to leave for apparation, an ordinary school owl landed on the signboard of _Hog's Head Inn_ and dropped two letters on a step at the front door. Aberforth threw a slice of bacon up in the air high so that the owl could catch it with its beak. As soon as the owl caught it, it flew away. Ron picked up the letters and handed Harry the one of them,

"It's from Ginny. This is from Hermione." He looked very happy.

Harry's face brightened up at the news, too. He unfolded the letter hastily. The words talked to him as if Ginny was chatting near him. She wrote her anxiety about tryouts. She missed him for her team. He missed Quidditch. He missed Ginny.

"Dedalus," the two trainees spoke together. And they smiled shyly. Their intention was clear.

Dedalus grinned mischievously, "Okay, boys. I understand you miss your sweetheart. I'll change to plan B. Review the witness's memory using the Pensieve at the Headmistress's office. And patrolling Hogwarts will bring us more information." The short wizard looked up at the young wizards and winked at them.


End file.
